The Books of Life │ Expository Bible Studies │ Christ Assembly

Books of Life and Deeds

The Bible contains many statements about various books concerning mankind. 1All references to Bible page numbers refer to the study bible. See this link http://christassembly.org/study-bible. In some cases, when a particular book was written may make a big difference in distinguishing one book from another book. Therefore, the footnotes below contain some discussion of more technical issues. 2Because verbs alone in the original languages of the Bible (Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew) often do not express time, the context of each verse and the verbs used there must be examined carefully to determine time references. So, throughout this study, timing can be a very big issue. This study will not look at all the books mentioned in the Bible, but only those related to eternal life. 3The books mentioned about men include: (1) The Book of the Living. Psalm 69:28, page 921; Exodus 32:32, page 144; contains the names of those alive on earth during any time period; apparently updated as people live and die. (2) The Book of Wanderings. Psalm 56:8, page 909; contains the account of the wanderings of man; unknown when written, but perhaps before the man was alive. (3) The Book of the Righteous. Psalm 69:28, page 921; contains only the names of the righteous; written during the lifetime of the believer; perhaps the name entered at the moment of salvation; (4) The Book of Days. Psalm 139:16, page 993; contains all the days ordained for man; written before man lived. (5) The Book of Turning Away. Jeremiah 17:13, page 1211; contains the names of the people who turn away from the LORD, the fountain of living water. (6) The Book of Rescue, page 1411; contains the names of the people of Israel rescued from great distress. (7)The Book of Remembrance. Malachi 3:16-18, page 1497; contains the names of people who fear God and esteem Him; used at the judgment to distinguish the righteous from the wicked; written during the physical life of the righteous and wicked); (8) The Book of Life. Philippians 4:3, page 1839; Revelation 3:5, page 1917; Revelation 17:8, page 1934; Revelation 20:15, page 1939; contains the names of only born-again believers; written before the foundation of the world; probably the same as the Book of Life of the Lamb; and (9) The Book of Life of the Lamb. Revelation 13:8, page 1929; Revelation 21:27, page 1940; contains the name of born-again believers; written before the foundation of the world Revelation 13:8, page 1929. See chart of Books in Appendix A. Although God knows all things, including all the secrets of men, 4See Romans 2:16, page 1760 of the Study Bible. He still makes written records contained in books. In this study, we will look in Scripture at the books related to the life on earth and eternal life. The Books of Life │ Expository Bible Studies │ Christ Assembly

Book of the Living

In the Old Testament, we read about the story of Moses as he led the people of God out of Egypt and through the wilderness. During that journey, Moses often spoke with God about the rebellion of the people of Israel.

Exodus 32:32-33, Page 144

But now, if You will, forgive their sin–and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written! The LORD said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.’

In Exodus 32:32, we learn about Moses interceding for the people of Israel after they made a golden calf and worshiped it. 5See page 144 of the Study Bible. Moses made God an offer to blot the name of Moses out of God’s book, if God would not forgive the great sin of the people of Israel. What book was Moses talking about when he offered to have his name blotted out of it? In order to answer that question, we must first look at Psalm 69:28. 6See page 921 of the Study Bible; David had great insight into many matters.

Psalm 69:28, Page 921

May they be blotted out of the book of life and may they not be recorded with the righteous.

King David wrote Psalm 69:28. 7See page 921 of the Study Bible. In that verse, we observe the only instance in the Old Testament of the Hebrew phrase “the Book of the Life.” 8The Hebrew phrase for “book of life” (“מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים”) occurs in only Psalm 69:28, page 921. The Hebrew word for “life” in Psalm 69:28 helps us understand the Old Testament meaning of this book of life. 9See page 921 of the Study Bible; the Bible contains several different meanings of the word “life.” The Hebrew word “life” found in Psalm 69:28 predominantly refers to people physically alive on earth. 10The usage of the Hebrew word “life” (“חַיִּים”) in the Old Testament usually means a person physically alive on the earth. We can review a few categories of that usage of the term “life.” In Genesis 2:7, page 3, we read there that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life (“נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים”) and so Adam became a living being (“לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה”). Similarly, in Genesis 6:17, page 9, God used the flood to destroy all flesh in which was the “breath of life” (“רוּחַ חַיִּים”). In Exodus 4:18, page 93, Moses wanted to see if his brothers, who were in Egypt, were still alive (“הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים”) . Also, in Numbers 16:30, pages 246-247, the evil men in the rebellion of Korah descend alive (“וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים”) into Sheol. In Deuteronomy 4:10, page 292, the Lord called upon Israel to fear Him all the days they live on earth (“חַיִּים עַל-הָאֲדָמָה”). In Ezekiel, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) frequently occurs in the phrase “in [the] land of the living” (“בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים”), meaning those people alive on earth. At times, however, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) can mean something other than physical life on earth. In Psalm 133:3, page 989, the Psalmist speaks of the blessings of the LORD as “life eternal” (“חַיִּים, עַד-הָעוֹלָם”); even there, the Psalmist explicitly indicated he was speaking of “eternal” life and so the verse actually supports the claim that the term “life” (“חַיִּים”), outside of Proverbs, predominantly means physical life, when used without an adjective. Likewise, in Proverbs, the Hebrew term “life” (“חַיִּים”) frequently means spiritual life, and not physical life. Of course, in other contexts, the word for “life” (“חַיִּים”) can refer to flowing water, among other referents. in 1 Samuel 17:26, page 466, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) occurs where David proclaimed that Goliath taunted the armies of the living God (“מַעַרְכוֹת אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים”). Therefore, it appears that the Book of Life mentioned in Psalm 69:28 refers to the Book of the Living (people physically alive on the earth at any given time). In this case, one’s name would be written in the book at conception and blotted out at physical death.

Because verbs alone in the original languages of the Bible (Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew) often do not express time, the context of each verse and the verbs used there must be examined carefully to determine time references. So, throughout this study, timing can be a very big issue.

3.

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The books mentioned about men include: (1) The Book of the Living. Psalm 69:28, page 921; Exodus 32:32, page 144; contains the names of those alive on earth during any time period; apparently updated as people live and die. (2) The Book of Wanderings. Psalm 56:8, page 909; contains the account of the wanderings of man; unknown when written, but perhaps before the man was alive. (3) The Book of the Righteous. Psalm 69:28, page 921; contains only the names of the righteous; written during the lifetime of the believer; perhaps the name entered at the moment of salvation; (4) The Book of Days. Psalm 139:16, page 993; contains all the days ordained for man; written before man lived. (5) The Book of Turning Away. Jeremiah 17:13, page 1211; contains the names of the people who turn away from the LORD, the fountain of living water. (6) The Book of Rescue, page 1411; contains the names of the people of Israel rescued from great distress. (7)The Book of Remembrance. Malachi 3:16-18, page 1497; contains the names of people who fear God and esteem Him; used at the judgment to distinguish the righteous from the wicked; written during the physical life of the righteous and wicked); (8) The Book of Life. Philippians 4:3, page 1839; Revelation 3:5, page 1917; Revelation 17:8, page 1934; Revelation 20:15, page 1939; contains the names of only born-again believers; written before the foundation of the world; probably the same as the Book of Life of the Lamb; and (9) The Book of Life of the Lamb. Revelation 13:8, page 1929; Revelation 21:27, page 1940; contains the name of born-again believers; written before the foundation of the world Revelation 13:8, page 1929. See chart of Books in Appendix A.

4.

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See Romans 2:16, page 1760 of the Study Bible.

5.

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See page 144 of the Study Bible.

6.

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See page 921 of the Study Bible; David had great insight into many matters.

7.

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See page 921 of the Study Bible.

8.

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The Hebrew phrase for “book of life” (“מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים”) occurs in only Psalm 69:28, page 921.

9.

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See page 921 of the Study Bible; the Bible contains several different meanings of the word “life.”

10.

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The usage of the Hebrew word “life” (“חַיִּים”) in the Old Testament usually means a person physically alive on the earth. We can review a few categories of that usage of the term “life.” In Genesis 2:7, page 3, we read there that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life (“נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים”) and so Adam became a living being (“לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה”). Similarly, in Genesis 6:17, page 9, God used the flood to destroy all flesh in which was the “breath of life” (“רוּחַ חַיִּים”). In Exodus 4:18, page 93, Moses wanted to see if his brothers, who were in Egypt, were still alive (“הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים”) . Also, in Numbers 16:30, pages 246-247, the evil men in the rebellion of Korah descend alive (“וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים”) into Sheol. In Deuteronomy 4:10, page 292, the Lord called upon Israel to fear Him all the days they live on earth (“חַיִּים עַל-הָאֲדָמָה”). In Ezekiel, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) frequently occurs in the phrase “in [the] land of the living” (“בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים”), meaning those people alive on earth. At times, however, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) can mean something other than physical life on earth. In Psalm 133:3, page 989, the Psalmist speaks of the blessings of the LORD as “life eternal” (“חַיִּים, עַד-הָעוֹלָם”); even there, the Psalmist explicitly indicated he was speaking of “eternal” life and so the verse actually supports the claim that the term “life” (“חַיִּים”), outside of Proverbs, predominantly means physical life, when used without an adjective. Likewise, in Proverbs, the Hebrew term “life” (“חַיִּים”) frequently means spiritual life, and not physical life. Of course, in other contexts, the word for “life” (“חַיִּים”) can refer to flowing water, among other referents. in 1 Samuel 17:26, page 466, the term “life” (“חַיִּים”) occurs where David proclaimed that Goliath taunted the armies of the living God (“מַעַרְכוֹת אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים”).

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Welcome !

Welcome to Christ Assembly. As born-again believers, baptized by Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, we love to glorify God through the study and application of His Word, the Bible. As we study the Bible, we seek to know God better, and to introduce others to the loving salvation of Jesus Christ received by faith alone.

We value the spiritual gifts bestowed upon every born-again Christian and seek to equip them for the work of service for Christ Jesus. Only through every saint using the spiritual gift(s) bestowed upon them will the body of Jesus Christ reach spiritual maturity and avoid being blown about by every wind of doctrine. May God have all the glory, always.
HALLELUJAH !

Spiritual Help

Eternal Life

People often ask me about how they can find spiritual peace. They tell me about their serious illness, divorce, drug addiction, alcoholism, and many other problems that grieve them. So many people share with me that they have never felt truly loved in their entire life, even though they have been married for decades, and have grandchildren. So many people feel a spiritual hunger and thirst within themselves. Jesus loves people and wants you to know all about His great love. He called it the greatest news anyone will ever hear. So, let me share with you about Jesus, Who loves you today. In Jesus, you can receive peace with God today. Jesus alone provides spiritual peace.

Romans 10:9

“Jesus asks you: ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?'”

Let me start with a question. Imagine you were to die today, and stand before Jesus Christ. Imagine further that Jesus looked at you and asked: “Why should I let you into My heaven?”
Take a moment and think about what you would say to Jesus. I have personally asked that question to hundreds and hundreds of people, if not thousands, one person at a time. Jesus always deals personally with you. He knows your name, and loves you personally. Jesus knows your good points and your bad points.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

As God in the flesh, Jesus totally understands who we are as sinners. Sinners fall short of the glory of God. Sin separates us from spiritual peace with God today. In God’s eyes, we all fall short of the glory of God. We do not act perfectly all of the time and so fall short of His glory. We tell lies, we think impure thoughts, we do things we know we should not have done. The road to peace with God starts with understanding that we all sin and we all fall short of the glory of God. As sinners, we tend to hide our sins in darkness, but Jesus helps us recognize that we are sinners and need to come into the light of God. We take the first steps down the path of peace with God by agreeing with God that we are sinners. God helps us walk down the path of peace with God by His divine power. Only by God’s power can I change my mind and accept the truth that I am a sinner. I must repent of my sin and seek God’s forgiveness for my sin. How do I find forgiveness?

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus, the Son of God, offers forgiveness to sinners as a gift. In order to have peace with God, we must receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Before we can grasp God’s offer of forgiveness, we must understand God’s justice and how it works. God tells us that justice imposes a penalty upon sin. God said that the wages of sin is death. Just as we earn wages for our work, so sin earns the wage of death. This spiritual death results from us sinning and falling short of the glory of God. God cannot remain just, and simply ignore our sin. Justice requires that every sin be paid by the death penalty. You have sinned so you deserve to die spiritually. Sin causes the spiritual death of the sinner. Now let us focus upon the gift of God: forgiveness. As a sinner, deserving death, I really do not deserve a gift of eternal life. Instead of death, God wants me to have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yet, my sin blocks me from having eternal life. To sinners God loves to give the free gift of eternal life. Although I have earned the death penalty by sinning, God offers me eternal life as a free Christmas gift. I cannot earn the gift of eternal life, and I do not deserve the gift of eternal life. God just wants me to have His gift of eternal life. God purchased the gift of eternal life, just for me, the sinner. Why would God give me gift of eternal life?

Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God gives the free gift of eternal life to sinners because God loves sinners like me. The road to peace with God means that I learn and accept that God loves sinners. Jesus came to love sinners. While I was a sinner, God loved me. So many people think that God hates sinners, but God tells us just the opposite right in this verse. I do not have to clean up my life before God will love me. God loves sinners. God gives the gift of eternal life to sinners, not to perfect people. You see, the gift of eternal life means that I believe that Jesus as God died for me on the cross. I recognize that I deserve the death penalty because I sinned, but Jesus took my place on the cross and died for all my sin. He satisfied God’s justice by paying the death penalty for me. God now offers me a free gift of eternal life, because Jesus loves sinners, and gave His life to die on the cross to pay for all my sins. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for sinners. How do I accept the free gift of God?

Romans 10:9

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You accept the free gift of God by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. We believe that God told us the truth that we fall short of the glory of God because we are sinners. Wonderfully, God loves sinners just like me. God purchased the gift of eternal life for me. I reach out by faith alone to accept the free gift from God. I believe that God sent Jesus as God in the flesh to die for me on the cross. Jesus paid the death penalty for me. Jesus satisfied the justice of God. New life in Jesus Christ begins with faith and continues for eternity. You can accept the free gift of eternal life right now, no matter where you are. Pray this prayer of faith.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and fall short of the glory of God.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I deserve the death penalty. I repent of my sins.

Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross in my place, because You loved me and paid the death penalty for me.

Lord Jesus, I confess you as Lord of my life.

Lord Jesus, I believe that God raised You from the dead. I accept right now Your gift of forgiveness for all my sins, and thank You for saving me.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer in faith, please send me an email through the contact box below. I look forward to getting to know you and help you walk daily with Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and makes us new creations. You have an abundant life in front of you, filled with joy and peace with God. We must learn from Jesus, and He is humble and gentle with us.